Friday, January 1, 2010

Drury, Callahan Named to Team USA

Newyorkrangers.com reports that Chris Drury and Ryan Callahan were among the 23 players named to the Team USA squad following Friday's NHL Winter Classic game between the Bruins and Flyers at Boston's Fenway Park.

Callahan said this to Andrew Gross at Ranger Rants after his selection...

“It is a huge honor to be able to represent my country,” Callahan said in an e-mail to me. “I was not really nervous, just excited to find out if I made the team. Tobe able to have Dru there who has been through it before will definitely make it easier for me and I am excited to be able to go through this with him.”

“We picked Chris Drury because he’s Chris Drury,” Burke said. “We know what he can do. We think he provides essential leadership. We think he’s as good as another coach in the dressing room. He’s one of the first players we reached out to when we put this team together. He’s been involved from the get-go. I don’t have to say anything else about Chris Drury except he’s Chris Drury. He represents a lot of things we need to be successful there.”

...first off congrats to both players for making the team. It's going to be that much more fun to root for Team USA with Drury and Callahan on the team.

...on Callahan, I was worried his long stretches of not scoring were going to hamper his chances, but I think his intangibles (hitting, energy, etc.) were to great to overlook. I've always said you need a player like Callahan on your team to be a winner. And Team USA is lucky to have him.

...as far as Drury goes, I really thought he had played himself off the team. But every team needs a veteran whose been there and Drury certainly fills that roll. Hopefully, he'll recapture some of the clutchness that has eluded him in New York and be a contributor.